The Honourable Chief Justice:

These writ petitions involving similar questions of law and fact were taken up together and are being disposed of by this common judgment.

2. The challenge in all these petitions is to the acquisition proceedings initiated by the State Government under the Tamil Nadu Acquisition of Land for Industrial Purposes Act, 1997 (Tamil Nadu Act 10 of 1999) (hereinafter referred to as “the T.N. Acquisition Act”) for the expansion of the Chennai Airport. It appears that in the year 2005, the Airports Authority of India wanted to expand the existing Chennai Airport to meet the rapid development in air traffic and air transport. The Airports Authority of India is forced to develop the Chennai Airport as an international hub and to extend the runway to sustain the developing economic growth. The Minister of State for Civil Aviation, Government of India by a letter dated 24. 2005 requested the State Government to provide land for expansion of the existing Chennai Airport. On 211. 2005, the Airports Director, Chennai forwarded a proposal of the Airports Authority of India Board for acquisition/transfer of 583 Hectares (1457.20 acres) of land on the northern